Chelsea are interested in bringing Denzel Dumfries to West London as they look to improve their depth at right-back, according to 90min.
The Lowdown: Depth targeted
The Blues are said to be exploring the market for depth at right-back with the article confirming Reece James will be sidelined for up to eight weeks, with the Inter Milan defender high on the list.
With a return for the Englishman very unlikely before the World Cup and the 22-year-old’s recent injury struggles going under the radar, having missed 29 games with injury since the turn of the 2020/21 season, it would be wise of owner Todd Boehly to add cover in that position.
The Latest: Dumfries in demand
90min claim that despite James’ almost untouchable profile in the Blues side when fit, there is a lack of strong alternatives when Graham Potter is unable to call upon the Cobham youth product.
Without the 15-capped England international in the squad, the Solihull-born boss has deployed a back three in the last five games in all competitions with Cesar Azpilicueta, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and even Christian Pulisic shoehorned in to fill the void left by the £54m-rated talent.
The Dutchman was reported to have previously held talks with the West Londoners in the summer, but a move never came to fruition, seemingly Chelsea haven’t given up the chase.
The Verdict: Get it done
Dumfries would prove to be an exceptional signing for the Blues with the 26-year-old seemingly a perfect option for Potter with his ability to play right-back as comfortably as right-midfield a key attribute to succeed in the Englishman’s fluid and ever-changing back four or back three setups.
A star at Euro 2020 for the Netherlands, former Everton star Kevin Campbell described him as “sensational” during the tournament where he scored two and assisted one in just four games from the right-hand side, the dynamo has continued to grow, registering two goals and two assists in 16 games for the Nerazzurri this season.
Both players share very similar stats as well this season, whilst the Chelsea man completes 1.3 key passes and 1.1 crosses per game in the Premier League, the Dutchman puts up an identical 1.3 key passes but a lower 0.5 crosses per game in the Serie A (via Sofascore), showing the Dutchman could fill the creative burden in the absence of the 22-year-old.
With Inter previously putting a €40m (£33.5m) asking price on the 37-time Dutch international in the summer, a fee in that ballpark should be enough for the Blues to secure his services and boast a very reliable alternative to James.
